Who Rules at StarCraft II?

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IGN Pro League Season 2 is nearing the end. Who'll take top prize?

By Cody Conners

Thousands of players tried to qualify for the IGN Pro League Season 2 event through our open qualification tournaments; of those thousands only thirty-two made the cut. Those thirty-two fought tooth and nail over the last four weeks for the $15,000 that would go to the tournament's winner.

We're now left with eight.

Greg 'IdrA' Fields

IdrA won the first IGN Pro League in convincing fashion, and he's looking to repeat his performance here in the second. Regarded as one of the best non-Korean Starcraft players around, IdrA was one of the fan favorites coming into the main event and he's looking as strong as ever here in the top. Expect years of RTS experience to shine as IdrA takes on his next opponents.

Grzesiek 'MaNa' Komincz

This Polish Protoss has been surprising many with his play in our main event. He's shown off smart builds and clever timings, humbling players like Fenix and Thorzain, to get to the top eight. MaNa had silver medal finishes at Dreamhack Winter 2010 and Assembly Summer 2011, but if he continues to play like he has here in the IPL he's certainly capable of adding a gold medal the trophy case.

Eugin 'Strelok' Oparyshev

Strelok, simply put, is a monster of a player. The Ukrainian Terran won three Craftcups, three ESL Cups, the HD World Tournament, and went eight and one in his North American Star League group with wins over Korean players NaDa and Squirtle. He beat last season's runner up, KiWiKaKi, in the first round; he's capable of beating anyone.

Aleksey 'White-ra' Krupnyk

There are few players who are as loved by their fans as White-ra. This thirty-two year old Ukrainian Protoss, jokingly nicknamed Grandpa-Toss, has been lopping off heads on his way to the top eight. As one of the most accomplished Starcraft players on the planet, you can be sure that his games will continue to be jaw dropping as our event rolls forward.

Min Gyun 'mOoNan' Kim

mOoNan is likely the name most are surprised to see in the top eight. Though he hasn't had any huge breakout tournaments, he consistently performs very well in smaller events and always does okay at offline events. This mechanically minded, macro-oriented Terran was knocked into the loser's bracket by last season's winner IdrA. Count on mOoNaN to fight the good fight and try muscle his way into the grand finals.

Marcus 'ThorZaIN' Eklof

This Swedish Terran has been the talk of the community as of late. He exploded in popularity after winning the third iteration of the TeamLiquid Star League, beating some of the best players in the world, and he's had a solid showing thus far in the IPL. ThorZaIN is well known for cooking up builds specifically for certain opponents, so keep your eyes open when you watch him as he'll likely have some crafty plays ready.

Artur 'Nerchio' Bloch

Nerchio deserves a round of applause for his perseverance. This Polish Zerg was knocked into the loser's bracket in the first round by ClouD, and has since clawed his way into the top eight. Nerchio isn't the biggest name in the tournament, but he is a very strong player that you should expect to do well. He has a handful of first place finishes in smaller weekly cups, and he competes regularly with all the other names you see in the top eight. Perhaps this is going to be the event where he stakes his claim at the top.

Jos 'Ret' de Kroon

Ret, a Dutch Zerg, is another player that found himself in the loser's bracket after the first round. After his initial loss to SeleCT he went on to beat Ranged, Socke, and Fenix. After his match with Fenix, Ret went on to play to SeleCT again. Ret would get his revenge and beat SeleCT, eliminating him from the tournament. Ret is one of the best Zerg players in the world, so expect him to finish strong.

Final Thoughts

It's anyone's game at this point. All of these players are fantastic with a track record of success – they certainly all deserve their place in the top 8.

Safe money is on IdrA as he's the reigning champion, but those looking to cheer for someone new might start rooting for Ret or Nerchio. Both Ret and Nerchio have slugged their way through the entire loser's bracket to make it to the top eight. Their match in the loser's bracket on Thursday will be one to watch for sure.

A lot of fans are pulling for White-Ra as he's so involved in the community. He's certainly a common tournament winner, but he plays Strelok in the winner's bracket semifinals. If anyone can drop a player like White-Ra it's Strelok.

All of the games left should be jaw dropping, so be sure to tune in at IGN.com/IPL on the following dates and times:

StarCraft II once again centers on the clash between the Protoss, Terrans, and Zerg, with numerous upgraded and brand-new units and abilities (in addition to familiar, trusted units and strategies) that allow for fresh tactics and strategies.